BLOG UPDATE (MARCH 23, 2017) / ROSE RESPONDS feat. Did You Know?

Due to external obligations that exist outside of this blog, I will be posting at a somewhat slower than usual rate for a brief period. But fear not, dear reader! There exists on my person a veritable bounty of posts already in progress, and, of course, there will be plenty more exciting articles to come!

In the meantime, take a breather with a little Jonas Kaufmann as the German tenor performs a stunning rendition (minor lyrical foibles and all) of Federico's famous lament (È La Solita Storia del Pastore) from late 19th-early 20th century Italian composer Francesco Cilèa's 1897 opera L'arlesiana, which I am dedicating to Unraveling Musical Myths reader Maybelle* who asked:

"Dear Rose,

...what is your favorite Italian aria?"

While the more precise answer is that it is almost impossible for me to choose just one aria from the Italian repertoire, I would have to say 'Federico's Lament' is right up there among my favorites!

Thank you for your question!




Did You Know?

Caruso was only 24
when he took on the role
of Federico in Francesco
Cilea's L'arlesiana.

L'arlesiana's famous second-act lament would serve to catapult the career of a young Enrico Caruso, arguably the most famous tenor of all time (and the original Federico), who performed the aria to substantial acclaim. Caruso's performance is widely believed to have been largely responsible for keeping the memory of the opera alive (even until present day). Although L'arlesiana premiered to much success (on November 27, 1897, at the Teatro Lirico in Milan), this was largely due to Caruso performing the stunning aria. L'arlesiana, which Cilea repeatedly revised in a series of vain attempts at turning the critical tide, would prove to be a failure with critics outside of Italy (although it did experience a brief period of notoriety, thanks to one Benito Mussolini, who was reportedly a fan).

Footnote:

* question submitted vie email. Reader's name used with permission. To see your inquiry published in a future edition of Rose Responds, contact me by using the form located near the end of the sidebar (right).

-Rose.

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